No Irregularities In Srivari Laddu Ghee Procurement, Claims TTD Chairman
The TTD chairman said the present trust board has introduced reforms in ghee procurement to safeguard the quality and purity of the Srivari laddu prasadam: Reports
TIRUPATI: Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, B.R. Naidu, on Tuesday rejected allegations of irregularities in cow ghee procurement for the Srivari laddu prasadam. The tendering process, he claimed, was done transparently and as per the quality norms.
The TTD chairman said the present trust board has introduced reforms in ghee procurement to safeguard the quality and purity of the Srivari laddu prasadam.
In a statement issued in Hyderabad, the TTD chairman asserted that, after 2024, the newly constituted TTD Board initiated changes in procurement following complaints from devotees about laddu taste and quality. “The procurement radius was reduced from 1,500km to 800m to prevent deterioration during transport. GPS lock systems were made mandatory on ghee tankers, and stricter milk-fat purity tests and sensory standards were enforced along with FSSR 2.1.8 norms.”
The tender process was held in seven rounds during 2024–25 to prevent monopoly, leading to the procurement of about 65 lakh kg of ghee, he said.
Refuting allegations that the Karnataka Milk Federation’s Nandini dairy was sidelined, Naidu said it secured four tenders and was supplying about 40 lakh kg, meeting nearly 62 per cent of TTD’s requirement.
He cited board resolutions awarding Nandini 10 lakh kg in November 2024, 20 lakh kg in January 2025, 10 lakh kg in May 2025 and 20 lakh kg in October 2025. The dairy later conveyed to TTD that it could supply only 10 lakh kg. Nandini had received no tenders during the 2019–24 YSRC period, he noted.
On claims that Indapur Dairy alone was favoured, the TTD chairman said it won only two tenders-- for 6.5 lakh kg in December 2025 and 3.5 lakh kg the same month, totalling 10 lakh kg.
Orders were also placed with Mother Dairy and Sangam Dairy among seven participating dairies, based on quality eligibility, he said.
Responding to allegations of inflated prices, the TTD chairman said cow-milk prices rose from ₹17–20 per litre in 2016 to about ₹42 now, a 147 per cent increase, pushing the cow ghee rates from ₹278/kg to about ₹658/kg, or an increase of 137 per cent.
Procurement prices were fixed after examining NCDFI butter prices and national wholesale ghee trends and also based on NDDB expert guidance, he said, rejecting allegations of commissions.
The TTD chairman also said that when Nandini expressed its inability to supply the full 20 lakh kg due to rising costs, TTD permitted procurement from the next eligible national-level dairy “beyond the usual radius” to avoid “disruption.”
All selected dairies met FSSAI and NDDB standards, he said, adding that the board remained committed to protecting the sanctity and quality of Srivari prasadam.
